Thursday, December 13, 2018

Re: Klein family history

1. It's a good question, I don't remember my source. But I just look it up and found that that's what it says in a sefer about the family put out by Rav Aharon Shapiro, the Rav of Pardes Katz (near Bnei Brak). His email address is: pardes-katz <pardes-katz@neto.bezeqint.net> he's a big Talmid Chacham (and speaks English). He actually made a gathering last year on the Shenos Chaim's yahrzheit for female descendants of the Shenos Chaim. See Attached.
2. Remember, last names are newer invention. People did not have consistent last names that had to match their parents'. Leitzas is a last name derived from the name of a woman Leitza.
3. Who said the yichus to the Rema is from the Rav Yaakov HaLevi side of the Shenos Chaim's family? I don't think we can assume any of that.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Wed, Dec 12, 2018 at 11:37 PM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you very much, it was really helpful. My husband found a copy of the Shnos Chaim on Hebrewbooks.org so I was slowly making my way through it. 

I have three more quick questions. 
1) How do you know that Rav Yaakov Halevi was the father in law of Binyamin Eliezer Unger-Aurbach and not his maternal grandfather? 

2) I am a bit unclear, The Taz's last name was Segal and you said Rav Tzvi Hirsh was ben acher ben (so paternal grandson) of The Taz. Would that make Rav Tzvi Hirsh's (and then his son's) last name Segal? Which would make sense given they are Leviim. What is לייצא''ס?

3) I know it is unclear how the Shnos Chaim was a descendent of the Rema, but can we assume Rav Yaakov Halevi was a descendent of the Rema from his mother's side? Meaning Rav Tzvi Hirsch Halevi's wife was a descendent? 



On Tue, Dec 11, 2018 at 9:24 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Looking at my records, I found that I had corresponded with two Greenbergers related to the Shenos Chaim's wife: Chaim at chaimgreenberger@yahoo.com and Velvi at MarkWG@att.net
Those email addresses are from a long time ago, so I don't know if they still work, but you can try to contact them.
By the way, I once made this recording of myself reading and explaining the introduction to the 1985 edition of Shenos Chaim, you might find it helpful: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18VraMDiWceOcPSEGU5AVwSNFLW_12vQJ/view?usp=sharing

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Tue, Dec 11, 2018 at 10:21 AM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you so much.

After I sent my initial email to you my cousin, Ushie Klein's daughter, told me that her father has spoken to you before. 
Would happen to know any more information about the greenberger chain in the family? I've looked on geni and tried many different searches but have come up with very little. I know Tzvi Dov Greenberger had a son Moishe. Do you know of any other Greenbergers? Or do you have contact information for any others? 

On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 9:28 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
I've corresponded with many people from your family before. Somebody named Eliezer Klein, I think from Lakewood. Usher Klein from LA. Tanya Klein from somewhere. All those records are on my webpage, so you can search there. See for example: https://kleinfamilygenealogy.blogspot.com/search?q="moshe+ezriel" I would also suggest getting on www.Geni.com and making an account there. You g-grandfather's profile is: https://www.geni.com/people/Moshe-Ezriel-Klein/6000000009308695906
To answer your questions:
Yes the Snina Rav died in the war without any children.
Yes the Shenos Chaim himself adopted the last name KLEIN for the childless family that hosted him. Rav Kunstilichter <3446@okmail.co.ilwho wrote the introduction to the 1985 edition of Shenos Chaim writes that the original name ws UNGAR-AUERBACH and he told me that all his information was from Mrs. Beinhorn a"h (who died last year).
I never heard of anything about the Shenos Chaim descending from the Noam Elimelech, and if there was such a rumor, I would have heard about it. I have a tradition from my father's cousin Max Steg that a different branch of my family is reputed to descendants of the Noam Elimelech, but not the Shenos Chaim branch.
Yes those two pictures are the before and after pictures of the Shenos Chaim's matzeivah (in Vienna).
How are we related? It goes like this, your great-great-grandfather, Rav Tzvi Dov Klein and my great-great-grandfather Binyamin Eliezer Klein were brothers. So we share a ggg-grandfather, so basically that means we are fourth-cousins.
I am attaching to this email a megillas yuchasin I wrote for the family, it's a big complicated to read, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty cool stuff.
If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 11:09 PM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you for responding! 

I know my great grandfathers brother was Reuven Chaim Klein (The Snina Rav), married to the daughter of Rav Shaya of Kestirer. As far as I know he was killed during the war. Is this correct? 

From what I know, his grandfather was Reuven Chaim Klein, the author of the Shnos Chaim and his last name was in fact Ungar-Aurbach but he changed it as a sign of hakaras hatov for the childless couple that hosted him in Pressburg. 

Do you have any history of the family before the Shnos Chaim? I have heard some rumors around my family about being descendant from the Noam Elimelech.  Unfortunately I was too young to ask my grandfather these questions before he passed away and my father and his siblings do not know much. 

I have attached two pictures I have found online, I am assuming they are the original and then the replaced matzevah of Rav Reuven Chaim, the Shnos Chaim? 

Just out of curiosity, how would we be related? 

On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 10:55 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Sure. What do you need?

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 10:54 PM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,

My name is Ahuva (Klein) Davis. My great-grandfather was Moshe Ezriel Klein, a brother of Rav Reuven Chaim Klein (The Snina Rov) and a son of Tzvi Dov and Chaya Sara Klein. My grandfather was Schaja Klein. 
I am working on a family history book for my cousins and I came across a blog you were active on for some time. I was hoping you would be able to help me with some more information. 

I currently live in Ramat Beit Shemesh but email is the best way for me to communicate. 

Thank you,
Ahuva Davis


Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Re: השב: Horne Saliby

Thanks. What year did you leave Horne Saliby? Maybe you know my cousin Judy/Yitty/Yetush Steg, her last name was MESSINGER. Her mother KAYLA/KATRINA/Katti neni was my grandfather's sister (and her last name was also MESSINGER). There are also several Israeli MESSINGER families, but I'm not so familiar with them.
If you have any more information or can send me to more people, please let me know. Thanks.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 9:52 PM Shaul Krakover <shaul@bgu.ac.il> wrote:

The names you have provided do no ring the bell.

My father's stepmother's name was קיילא חיה (Kornélia).

Attached please find several files with info about Sali.

A chapter from a book about Sali is attached.

I have a Hebrew translation. I could not find it at the moment.

 

 

From: RC Klein [mailto:yeshivish@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 9, 2018 9:48 PM
To: שאול קרקובר‏ <shaul@bgu.ac.il>
Subject: Re: השב: Horne Saliby

 

Who was your father's step-mother?

My mother Edit Messinger a"h came to USA around 1978, her older brothers Gyuri (Shaul) and Hezsky lived in Israel from earlier on and the moved to USA.

Anything else you could share with me about Horne Saliby?

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon

 

On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 9:41 PM Shaul Krakover <shaul@bgu.ac.il> wrote:

The Messinger's I know were the brothers of my father's stepmother.

They were nice, honest, Yere Shomaiim people. Two or three of them mad Aliya in the early statehood years.

The younger one made Aliyah later and then immigrated to the USA.

 

From: RC Klein [mailto:yeshivish@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 11:42 AM
To: שאול קרקובר‏ <
shaul@bgu.ac.il>
Subject: Re: השב: Horne Saliby

 

In what way were they respected? Do you have any more information about the Jewish community at Horne Saliby, and about the Messinger family in particular?

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon

 

On Fri, Dec 7, 2018 at 11:29 AM Shaul Krakover <shaul@bgu.ac.il> wrote:

Messinger was a very respected family.

My grandfather's second wife was a Messinger.

She gave birth to 5 children, who could have been my aunts and uncles.

Unfortunately she and her children were murdered in the holocaust.

Shaul

 

 

 

 

From: RC Klein [mailto:yeshivish@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 8:36 AM
To: שאול קרקובר‏ <
shaul@bgu.ac.il>
Subject: Re: השב: Horne Saliby

 

Messinger.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon

 

On Fri, Dec 7, 2018 at 5:56 AM Shaul Krakover <shaul@bgu.ac.il> wrote:

Yes. I have some information. What was her family name before mariage?

Shaul

 

 

 

נשלח ממכשיר הSamsung שלי



-------- הודעה מקורית --------
מאת: RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com>
תאריך: 6.12.2018 22:25 (GMT+02:00)
אל: שאול קרקובר <shaul@bgu.ac.il>
נושא: Horne Saliby

Are you the same Shaul Krakover who is researching the Krakauer family from Horne Saliby? Do you have any more information about Horne Saliby? My mother a"h grew up there.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon

Re: Klein family history

Looking at my records, I found that I had corresponded with two Greenbergers related to the Shenos Chaim's wife: Chaim at chaimgreenberger@yahoo.com and Velvi at MarkWG@att.net
Those email addresses are from a long time ago, so I don't know if they still work, but you can try to contact them.
By the way, I once made this recording of myself reading and explaining the introduction to the 1985 edition of Shenos Chaim, you might find it helpful: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18VraMDiWceOcPSEGU5AVwSNFLW_12vQJ/view?usp=sharing

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Tue, Dec 11, 2018 at 10:21 AM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you so much.

After I sent my initial email to you my cousin, Ushie Klein's daughter, told me that her father has spoken to you before. 
Would happen to know any more information about the greenberger chain in the family? I've looked on geni and tried many different searches but have come up with very little. I know Tzvi Dov Greenberger had a son Moishe. Do you know of any other Greenbergers? Or do you have contact information for any others? 

On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 9:28 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
I've corresponded with many people from your family before. Somebody named Eliezer Klein, I think from Lakewood. Usher Klein from LA. Tanya Klein from somewhere. All those records are on my webpage, so you can search there. See for example: https://kleinfamilygenealogy.blogspot.com/search?q="moshe+ezriel" I would also suggest getting on www.Geni.com and making an account there. You g-grandfather's profile is: https://www.geni.com/people/Moshe-Ezriel-Klein/6000000009308695906
To answer your questions:
Yes the Snina Rav died in the war without any children.
Yes the Shenos Chaim himself adopted the last name KLEIN for the childless family that hosted him. Rav Kunstilichter <3446@okmail.co.ilwho wrote the introduction to the 1985 edition of Shenos Chaim writes that the original name ws UNGAR-AUERBACH and he told me that all his information was from Mrs. Beinhorn a"h (who died last year).
I never heard of anything about the Shenos Chaim descending from the Noam Elimelech, and if there was such a rumor, I would have heard about it. I have a tradition from my father's cousin Max Steg that a different branch of my family is reputed to descendants of the Noam Elimelech, but not the Shenos Chaim branch.
Yes those two pictures are the before and after pictures of the Shenos Chaim's matzeivah (in Vienna).
How are we related? It goes like this, your great-great-grandfather, Rav Tzvi Dov Klein and my great-great-grandfather Binyamin Eliezer Klein were brothers. So we share a ggg-grandfather, so basically that means we are fourth-cousins.
I am attaching to this email a megillas yuchasin I wrote for the family, it's a big complicated to read, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty cool stuff.
If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 11:09 PM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you for responding! 

I know my great grandfathers brother was Reuven Chaim Klein (The Snina Rav), married to the daughter of Rav Shaya of Kestirer. As far as I know he was killed during the war. Is this correct? 

From what I know, his grandfather was Reuven Chaim Klein, the author of the Shnos Chaim and his last name was in fact Ungar-Aurbach but he changed it as a sign of hakaras hatov for the childless couple that hosted him in Pressburg. 

Do you have any history of the family before the Shnos Chaim? I have heard some rumors around my family about being descendant from the Noam Elimelech.  Unfortunately I was too young to ask my grandfather these questions before he passed away and my father and his siblings do not know much. 

I have attached two pictures I have found online, I am assuming they are the original and then the replaced matzevah of Rav Reuven Chaim, the Shnos Chaim? 

Just out of curiosity, how would we be related? 

On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 10:55 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Sure. What do you need?

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Sun, Dec 9, 2018 at 10:54 PM A Davis <ahuva.klein@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,

My name is Ahuva (Klein) Davis. My great-grandfather was Moshe Ezriel Klein, a brother of Rav Reuven Chaim Klein (The Snina Rov) and a son of Tzvi Dov and Chaya Sara Klein. My grandfather was Schaja Klein. 
I am working on a family history book for my cousins and I came across a blog you were active on for some time. I was hoping you would be able to help me with some more information. 

I currently live in Ramat Beit Shemesh but email is the best way for me to communicate. 

Thank you,
Ahuva Davis


Thursday, December 06, 2018

Re: Tolcsva


On Thu, Dec 6, 2018 at 9:37 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Which sefer? What I wrote to you yesterday was based on multiple seforim?

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Thu, Dec 6, 2018 at 8:36 AM Madeleine Isenberg <madeleine.isenberg@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks, RC, very helpful.  Because he died in the Shoah I could get more details from Yad Vashem.

Does the same Sefer have anything about Nowy Targ in Poland? That's not far from Nowy Sacz.  When you have time, of course!

Todah Rabah,
Madeleine 


On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 12:55 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Okay, I'll do my best.
From what I have found, Rabbi Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer signed his name as the Av Beis Din of Tolcsva in letters he wrote that were published in the rabbinic journal HaNesher (vols. 10,11, and 12) which was published in Trnava in Hungary by Rabbi Avraham Yehuda Schwartz. These particular volumes appeared in the years 1942, 1943, and 1944. It seems that he was killed in the Holocaust, so he was the last Rav of the Tolcsva community.
In the 1912 edition of Rabbi Elazar Fleckels' work Olas Tamid,  Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer is listed as a donor towards the publication of that work, and the title given for him is that of an unmarried fellow (and he is described as being of the same hometown as the publisher of that work, which was published in Tolscva.
Rabbi Mordechai Winkler, Rav of Madd, has a responsum (Levushei Mordechai, Yoreh Deah 181) addressed to his student Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer on Thursday of Parshas Netzevim--Vayelech 5671 (see www.hebcal.com to figure the date) and there too he is addressed as a bachur, unmarried fellow.
Somebody with the name  Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer  also donated money for the publication of Yalkut Avraham in Munkacs in 1931. There his title matches that of a married fellow (Reb, as opposed to HaBachur), but his town is given as סערענטש.  In the 1932 edition of Rabbi Winkler's Levushei Mordehcai to Nedarim, Rabbi Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer is listed as a donor, and is already described as the Av Beis Din of Tolcsva.
Now I just found in Rav Pinchas Schwartz's work Shem HaGedolim MeEretz Hagar that  Rav Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer became rabbi of Tolsca in תרפ"ח which is 1928 and that his father's name was Yoav. 
The Sefer Kehilla of Madd says that  Rav Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer  was one of the people who eulogized Rabbi Winkler at his funeral.
See also the attached PDF.
I hope this helps. I wrote it quickly because I don't have so much time nowadays, but please don't hesitate to ask for clarifications.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 9:10 PM Madeleine Isenberg <madeleine.isenberg@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Reuven Chaim Klein, 

Our paths cross again and hopefully we can help each other.  While looking for information on Rabbi Akiva Pinchas KORNITZER, ZTz"L, I came across this that you wrote:  http://kleinfamilygenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-town-of-tallosh-in-hungary.html

I do believe you really meant Tolcsva, and please check out the KehilaLinks site I created for Tolcsva, especially the "religious" tab. https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/tolcsva/Tolcsva-Religious.html.

I would appreciate it if you could actually help me with Rabbi Akiva Pinchas KORNITZER, as to who his family was, and when he might have served in Tolcsva.

Strangely, I have just been processing a few photos I took of Har Hamenuchot, that included the matzeva of Rebbetzin Miriam Raizel EISENSTADT, who was the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Nechemia KORNITZER.

While I don't think we are related, it is interesting that you have similar family names.  My great-grandfather, Yosef (ben Yisrael) GOLDSTEIN married Miriam KOHN, daughter of Joachim (Chaim) KOHN and Rechel GOLDSTEIN.  I still don't know if her mother had been related to this husband.  Anyway, I thought I would throw that in.

Rabbi David JUNGREIS has been working with people to restore the cemetery in Tolcsva, and I know they need a lot of money for their work.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Chag Urim Sameach!
--

Wednesday, December 05, 2018

Re: Tolcsva

Okay, I'll do my best.
From what I have found, Rabbi Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer signed his name as the Av Beis Din of Tolcsva in letters he wrote that were published in the rabbinic journal HaNesher (vols. 10,11, and 12) which was published in Trnava in Hungary by Rabbi Avraham Yehuda Schwartz. These particular volumes appeared in the years 1942, 1943, and 1944. It seems that he was killed in the Holocaust, so he was the last Rav of the Tolcsva community.
In the 1912 edition of Rabbi Elazar Fleckels' work Olas Tamid,  Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer is listed as a donor towards the publication of that work, and the title given for him is that of an unmarried fellow (and he is described as being of the same hometown as the publisher of that work, which was published in Tolscva.
Rabbi Mordechai Winkler, Rav of Madd, has a responsum (Levushei Mordechai, Yoreh Deah 181) addressed to his student Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer on Thursday of Parshas Netzevim--Vayelech 5671 (see www.hebcal.com to figure the date) and there too he is addressed as a bachur, unmarried fellow.
Somebody with the name  Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer  also donated money for the publication of Yalkut Avraham in Munkacs in 1931. There his title matches that of a married fellow (Reb, as opposed to HaBachur), but his town is given as סערענטש.  In the 1932 edition of Rabbi Winkler's Levushei Mordehcai to Nedarim, Rabbi Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer is listed as a donor, and is already described as the Av Beis Din of Tolcsva.
Now I just found in Rav Pinchas Schwartz's work Shem HaGedolim MeEretz Hagar that  Rav Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer became rabbi of Tolsca in תרפ"ח which is 1928 and that his father's name was Yoav. 
The Sefer Kehilla of Madd says that  Rav Akiva Pinchas Kornitzer  was one of the people who eulogized Rabbi Winkler at his funeral.
See also the attached PDF.
I hope this helps. I wrote it quickly because I don't have so much time nowadays, but please don't hesitate to ask for clarifications.

Kol Tuv,

Reuven Chaim Klein

Beitar Illit, Israel

Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry (NEW!) & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew

ORCiD LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon



On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 9:10 PM Madeleine Isenberg <madeleine.isenberg@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Reuven Chaim Klein, 

Our paths cross again and hopefully we can help each other.  While looking for information on Rabbi Akiva Pinchas KORNITZER, ZTz"L, I came across this that you wrote:  http://kleinfamilygenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-town-of-tallosh-in-hungary.html

I do believe you really meant Tolcsva, and please check out the KehilaLinks site I created for Tolcsva, especially the "religious" tab. https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/tolcsva/Tolcsva-Religious.html.

I would appreciate it if you could actually help me with Rabbi Akiva Pinchas KORNITZER, as to who his family was, and when he might have served in Tolcsva.

Strangely, I have just been processing a few photos I took of Har Hamenuchot, that included the matzeva of Rebbetzin Miriam Raizel EISENSTADT, who was the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Nechemia KORNITZER.

While I don't think we are related, it is interesting that you have similar family names.  My great-grandfather, Yosef (ben Yisrael) GOLDSTEIN married Miriam KOHN, daughter of Joachim (Chaim) KOHN and Rechel GOLDSTEIN.  I still don't know if her mother had been related to this husband.  Anyway, I thought I would throw that in.

Rabbi David JUNGREIS has been working with people to restore the cemetery in Tolcsva, and I know they need a lot of money for their work.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Chag Urim Sameach!

Tuesday, December 04, 2018

Re: Hi from great great granddaughter of Rabbi Noam Elimelech

First of all, I am happy to hear that you are learning more about Judaism and trying to get in touch with your roots. I would like to warn you though, that Noam Elimelech is not an easy book to read, and it is definitely not for beginners. It is quite esoteric and Kabbalisitc, and without the requiste Talmudic/Rabbinic knowledge, you can very easily misunderstand or not understand at all what he is saying. I would not suggest studying Noam Elimelech at this stage in life, I would tell you to stick to more basic texts until you have mastered them.
My father's first cousin told me about a tradition in our family that we are descendants of the Noam Elimelech, but I have not been able to track it down exactly. He said that my great-great-grandmother was known to be a descendant of the Noam Elimelech, but I could not find the exact line between her and him (as you saw last night when you visited my genealogy webpage).
Now I'm trying to get down to the nitty-gritty of your story, but some things don't add up. You mentioned that your grandmother was the daughter of Rav Elimelech's seventh son who died in the Holocaust. This of course is simply impossible. Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk himself died in 1787, so for his seventh son to have died in the Holocaust (let's say in 1939), he must have been at least 152 years old! Are you perhaps confusing the Noam Elimelech himself with one of his descendants who may have been named after him?
Also, you wrote that your great-grandmother was named Esther Elimelech and her maiden name was Schiff). Was Elimelech her married family name? I never heard of a last name Elimelech, but then again, I don't know everything.
I looked a bit into this for you, and I consulted with a book that lists the first seven generations of descendants of the Noam Elimelech. In that book, there is a woman named Esther Schiff: The Noam Elimelech had a son named Elazar of Lizhensk, who had a son named Naftali Weissbloom, who had a daughter named Hadas Weissbloom. She married somebody named Rabbi Chaim Schiff (from Tarnow). One of their daughters was named Esther Schiff, and she married somebody named Aharon Zilberman (in a place called Ratzfert/Újfehértó, Hungary) and she died around 1920. She apparently had two sons: Henrik Zilberman (born 1890) and Shmuel Zilberman (born 1894). Does any of this sound familiar? Do you think this is might be your family? In this book, Esther Schiff is listed as having a sister named Tuna who married into the Halberstam/Rubin family of Vishnitza. I would suggest getting in touch with Rabbi Chaim Baruch Rubin from Los Angeles (the current Vishnitza Rebbe) for more information about that. His phone number is (323) 934-6016. As opposed to whatt I found, the Esther Schiff you mentioned was not a descendant of the Noam Elimelech, rather her husband was a descendant, so I'm not sure if it's a match.
I hope I have been some help to you, because at this point I myself am utterly confused.

Sincerely,


On Tue, Dec 4, 2018 at 2:32 AM Alina Demeter <demeterlaw@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Rabbi Klein:

Thank you for accepting my unusual request.  

My name is Alina Demeter.  I live in Seal Beach, Orange County, California having immigrated to the US in the 1970's from Bucharest Romania, where I was born.   I have always felt a bit of a fish out of water.  I did not know I was Jewish until my teens.  I then started to identify more with Judaism, and I have made it a part of my normal life and routine.  

Recently, I have just learned more about Rabbi Elimelech and how I am related to him, and I wanted to reach out to any other family members out there to find out what happened to the rest of our family.  

My father is Peter Demeter.  He lives here near me in Rossmoor, California, Orange County.  

This is what we know from our grandmother:  My father's mother, Reghina Schiff (Elimelech) (married name Reghina Demeter), was one of the daughters of Rabbi Elimelech's seventh and youngest son, and his wife, Esther Elimelech (Schiff maiden name).  
They lived in Hungary and Northern Transylvania /Romania having migrated from Poland and prior to that Spain.  

My grandmother's parents separated during WWII and her Father (Elimelech's 7th son) perished along with his oldest son in the Holocaust.  His wife, Esther Elimelech (who divorced him and used subsequently her maiden name Schiff ) established herself with the children in Transylvania.  Esther Schiff as she called herself survived along with the 4 children, one of which was my grandmother, Reghina Demeter.    Reghina Demeter my grandmother also survived the Holocaust, having been imprisoned in a work camp for over 1 year during WWII.   She wrote her memoirs about her experiences, and I am planning of re-reading them again now that I am older and wiser, and in light of this information about Elimelech of Lisansk Poland. 

My grandmother, Reghina Schiff - Elimelech lived most of her life in Bucharest, Romania and in Jerusalem.  Her sister Haddash Moisescu and Tibor Schiff also lived in Jerusalem.  Tibor is still alive.  My grandmother Reghina Demeter (nee Schiff/Elimelech) passed away this year.  Although she lost touch with her Jewish roots after the Holocaust, and I was not raised religiously for 3 generations, I am now for the past 20 years have become more religious, and am interested in my heritage.

I recently became friends with a fellow woman here in LA whom I met by happenstance, and we have been doing Torah study together weekly for a year.  When I mentioned casually after a year that I am the great great granddaughter of Rabbi Elimelech of Lisansk Poland, she was so excited, and I was very curious what was the big deal about?  At Shabbat dinner last week, her brother Joseph told me all about Rabbi Elimelech.  I was in awe.  Then my Father, Peter told me more the next day and I just had to reach out to learn more about my heritage, and about what happened to the rest of the 6 sons families and their descendants.  Baruch Hashem we now have the Internet. 

Anyway, thank you for your time.  If you could find it in your schedule to tell me about your connection to Rabbi Elimelech (are you related to him?  If so, we are related!) , I would very much appreciate it.  I have purchased Noam Elimelech's book on Amazon.com, and will be learning from it during our weekly Torah study.  

Warm regards to you and your family and Baruch Hashem, I look forward to hearing from you. 
Cordially:
Alina Demeter Esq.
Seal Beach California 90740
Direct: 562-342-9925

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